Corn-harvester



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. FUHLHAGE', Jr;

001m HARVESTER.

. N0.429,21=1. PatentedJune 3,1890.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

w; PUHLHAGE, Jr.

BORN HARVESTER (No Model.)

Hill I Luna, WASNINGYON u c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM FUHLHAGE, JR, OF YATES CENTRE, KANSAS.

CORN-HARVESTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 429,211, dated June 3, 1890.

Application filed January 22, 1890. $erial1lo.337,'706. (N0 model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM FUHLHAGE, Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing at Yates Centre, in the county of VVoodson and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Corn-Harvesters and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. 7

My invention relates to improvements in cornsharvesters; and it consists in certain novel features hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved corn-harvester. Fig. 2 is a front view of the same, and Fig. 3 is an end view thereof.

Referring to the drawings by letter, A designates the frame, which may be of any desired size and is supported by the carryingwheels B C, as shown. The tongue D is secured to the front side of the frame, and the drivers seat E is mounted on the tongue. Two of the cross-bars of the frame are extended beyond the front side of the same, and to the end of one of these extended cross-bars I secure a standard G, to the upper end of which I secure the circular guide-iron H, which has one side bent upward, as shown at I. The reel-shaft J is journaled in suitable bearings on this standard and the front side of the frame, and is provided at its upper end with a multiple head K, to which the reel-arms L are pivoted, said arms resting on the guideiron H.

The larger carrying-wheel Chas its axle extended somewhat inward, and a driving-wheel M is mounted on said inwardly-extendin g portion. This driving-Wheel is provided on its outer side with a half-clutch 2, which is adapted to engage a half-clutch 3 on the carrying-wheel C, so that motion will be imparted to the driving-wheel as the machine is drawn over the field. The driving-wheel is pressed normally toward the carrying-wheel C, so that the two half-clutches engage by a spring 4, which is coiled around the axle and bears against the inner side of the driving-wheel. \Vhen it is desired to move the machine over the field without operating it, the driving-wheel is drawn inward, so as to be disengaged from the carrying-wheel, by a lever 5,which is fulcrumed on the frame and projects forward to within convenient reach of the driver. The rear end of the lever is pivoted to a link 6, which has a fork 7 at its outer end engaging an annular groove 8 in the hub of the carrying-wheel. Thus when the lever is vibrated the link will be caused to draw the drivingwheel away from the carrying-wheel. The driving-wheel is connected by endless chains N O with the sprocket-wheels P Q on the ends of the shafts R S, which are mounted on the frame at the front and rear sides thereof, respectively. The shaft R at the front side of the frame is provided at an intermediate. point of its length with abevel-pinion T, which meshes with a similar pinion U on the upper end of a short vertical shaft V, which is mounted in the front side of the frame and is provided below the pinion U with a sprocketwheel or pulley IV. This sprocket-wheel or pulley IV is connected by a chain or belt X with a similar pinion or pulley Y on the reelshaft, sothat the reel will be operated as the machine is drawn over the field.

The shaft R is provided at its free end with a bevel-pinion Z, which meshes with a similar pinion a on the upper end of a shaft I), mounted vertically in the front side of the frame between the' extended cross-bars, and to the lower end of this vertical shaft I secure the saw or rotary cutter c, as shown, which-is adapted to sever the cornstalks as the machine is drawn over the field. The saw is held steadily in a horizontalposition by the guardfingers cl, so that it will cut squarely across the stalks.

At one end of the machineI erect the standards e, and in the said standards I journal the roller f, over which and a similar rollerg at the outer end of the frame the conveyer it passes. The conveyer consists of a series of straps or belts c', passing around the rollers, and the transverse slats j, secured to the said belts. The lower roller is provided atits'rear end with a pinion 7c, meshing with a similar pinion Z on the end of the shaft S, so that the conveyer will be operated simultaneously with the other mechanism.

At the end of the frame, adjacent to the standards e, I pivot a dumping-platform or shelf on, which is composed of a central rotarybeam or bar and a series of lateral supporting-arms 11, secured to said bar or beam. At the front end of the shelf I provide a lever 0, which extends to within convenient reach of the driver and by which the contents of the shelf are dumped. In its normal position this shelf or platform is inclined slightly downward and inward, so that the corn will be supported by it and the standards 6. \Vhen a sufiicient quantity has accumulated on the shelf, the lever is thrown outward, thereby rotating the shelf and dumping the corn to the ground.

In practice the machine is drawn over the field and the several parts operated, as above described, so that the cornstalks will be cut and thrown over onto the conveyer and by the same carried to the dumping-platform. As the machine is drawn forward, the reel-arms are carried around so as to strike against the eornstal ks and bend them over toward the con veyer, and the rotary cutter advancing toward the stalk wi l effectually sever the same. The conveyer carries the stalks over to the dumping-table, upon which they are collected until a sufiicientquantity has been accumulated, when the said platform is operated to discharge the stalks upon the ground, as before stated. As the reel-arms move around upon the guide-iron ll, they will ride up the inclined portion I thereof and be thereby raised so as to pass above the head of the driver.

My improved corn-harvester is very simple in its construction and is free of all cumbersome and complicated arrangements, so that it may be easily drawn over the field and the several parts positively operated.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

The combination of the frame, the drivingwheel mounted therein, having an extended axle and provided with a half-clutch on its side, the double sprocket-wheel mounted on the extended axle and provided with a halfclutch adapted to engage the half-clutch on the driving-wheel, the spring to hold the said half-clutches normally together, the lever fulerumed horizontally on the frame and adapted to disengage the said half-clutches, the transverse shafts mounted on the frame at the front and rear sides thereof and provided with pinions at theirends, the sprocket-chains connecting said pinions with the double sprocketwheel, the endless conveyer mounted trans verscly on the frame, gearing between the conveyer and the rear transverse shaft, the rotary cutter on the front side of the frame, gearing between the cutter and the front transverse shaft, the reel mounted on the front side of the frame, and gearing between the reel and the front transverse shaft, as specified.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM FUIILHAGE, JR.

Witnesses:

HENRY KRUEGER, FRITZ BEINE. 

